Academy explains Joan Rivers’ absence from Oscars ‘In Memoriam’ tribute segment

Academy explains Joan Rivers’ absence from Oscars ‘In Memoriam’ tribute segment

"Joan Rivers is among the many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year's Oscar show," stated the Academy

Social media outrage erupted when Glee star Cory Monteith and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air‘s James Avery were noticeably left out of the annual Oscars “In Memoriam” segment last year, and the Academy is having to deal with similar frustrations following Sunday night’s award ceremony. Deceased Fashion Police presenter Joan Rivers was left out of the tribute during this year’s Academy Awards, despite being an Oscars red carpet-staple for several years.

Meryl Streep introduced the annual “In Memoriam” picture montage at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater during the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday evening, inviting viewers to remember recently deceased celebrities such as Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall, Bob Hoskins, Mickey Rooney and Maya Angelou. The tribute ended without ever displaying Rivers’ face, and fans and celebrities alike immediately turned to social media to express their disappointment.

“Am I missing something or was @Joan_Rivers really left out of the #Oscars memorials,” Rivers’ former Fashion Police co-presenter Kelly Osbourne asked on Twitter after the segment.

@Joan_Rivers a glaring omission from the in memoriam segment,” tweeted Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Michael Chiklis.

In addition to being a red carpet mainstay, Rivers wrote and directed the 1978 film Rabbit Test, and had cameos in Iron Man 3, The Smurfs, Shrek 2 and Serial Mom. This is the second time the comedian has been snubbed during awards season, as she was also left out of a similar segment at the Grammy Awards earlier this month despite posthumously winning a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for her memoir, Diary of a Mad Diva.

“Joan Rivers is among the many worthy artists and filmmakers we were unfortunately unable to feature in the In Memoriam segment of this year’s Oscar show,” explained the Academy in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter hours after the award ceremony aired.

“You make more people disappointed or angry than you make happy,” the Academy’s former executive director Bruce Davis told the The Washington Post in 2011 when asked about celebrities left out of the annual tribute. “You’re leaving on the floor whole remarkable careers.”

Davis also explained that the Academy tries to limit the list to celebrities who were truly focused on film, further explaining Rivers’ absence. The comedian was, however, included in a photo gallery of deceased notable celebrities enshrined on the Academy’s website last weekend.

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